MONTICELLO – Due to the great influx of economic development in Sullivan County, business leaders say there is a push for workforce housing in the not-too-distant future.
Sullivan County Partnership President Marc Baez said although tourism has been the county’s bread and butter, especially recently, the influx of new tourism businesses calls for the diversification of the local economy, which goes along with trying to house all the incoming residents.
“We have to address the housing issue. We’re doing that,” said Baez. “There’s going to be 1,600 new units of housing developed in Sullivan County. We haven’t seen housing developed on that scale in 40 years. It’s significant. We need that for the workers that are going to work at these facilities, and housing in general, which has been stagnant for a very long time.”
Baez is referencing the influx that has resulted from the casino/resort, the recently opened upscale spa and the upcoming Kartrite Waterpark and Hotel, which will be located on the casino grounds.
The county has already addressed employee childcare needs with Nana’s Daycare, but they will have to find a way to accommodate for the new workforce.
VP of Recreation and Investments for EPR, Andrew Limbocker, the company that leases the property to both Resorts World Catskills and the upcoming Kartrite Hotel and Waterpark, said they are open to taking initiative to provide residential housing for this workforce on their ancillary property if it will help the county.
“Whatever needs to get done, to bring people to this community, to build on the excess land that we have, to provide the employee housing, to provide additional lodging rooms because it doesn’t have enough in the county,” said Limbocker. “Whatever we need to do to support that, we’re very excited about doing; so, I think that’s what I would get across if I had to get something across.”
